Radial draft-gear and vestibule.



H. T. KRAKAU. RADIAL DRAFT GEAR AND VESTIBULE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1907.

Patented Jan, 18,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Li WITN ESSES mvzuron H. T. KRAKAU.

' .BADIAL DRAFT GEAR AND VESTIBULE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I wn'ussszs v I INVENTOR M 4 M2 m Patented Jan. 18,1910.

1LT: KRAKAU.

RADIAL DRAFT GEAR AND VESTIBULE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1907. Jan. 18,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l I ..1 4-, r 1

INVENTOR WITNESSES HARRY 'l. KRAKAU, F CLEVELAND,

this specification, in which- .manner of mounting the radial draft gear incident with the axis of the pine when the I UNITED STA111 S PAIENT OFFICE.

GASEEINGSGOMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,-OHIO, A -OORPWAZBION GFQHIOi RADIAL DRAFT-GEAR AN D VES'IIBUIE.

Specification .of Hatters mm.

PatentedJan. 18, 1910;

Application filed June 20, 1907. Send Io. 878,713.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY T. KRAKAU, of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented a new. and useful Radial Draft- Gear and vestibule, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of Figure l is a front elevation of a car provided with my radial draft gear and vestibule; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the end portion of the car; Fig. 3 "is a plan view partly in horizontal section showing the and the' vestibule; Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section showing the diaphragm of the vestibule and the manner in which it is hinged at its forward end; 5 is a vertical central section partly in side elevation, showing the vestibule.

My invention provides forthe firsttime in connection. with a radially swinging draft gear and buffer a vestibule device which can be applied to cars provided with such draft gear and buffer and will follow the same during the motion of the parts'as the car travels around curves. The device is therefore of great utility in application to passenger cars which are designed to be provided with devices of: this kind.

The invention also provides for a bufier connection with the \swinging vestibule which will remain in operative position at all times, notwithstanding the shifting of the parts which takes place'as the cars pass around curves.

In the drawing 2 represents the coupler having a shank extension 3, which may be integral with the coupler shank or connected thereto, and which is connected at its rear end pivotally by means of a pin-i to the yoke 5 of the draft rigging, which is g mounted in a suitable frame 6 or otherwise, l so that the coupler can swing radially in a i horizontal direction on the axis of the pin.

7 is the buffer having a rearwardly extending shank 8 which is connected to a telescopic spring case 9, the rear telescopic f section of which has an extension 10 piv- 1 oted on a pin 11 whose axis is nearly 00- latter is in normal or neutral position. The pin 11' is preferably set in fixed bearings in l the frame 6, so that the stress ofbuffing is taken up by said frame. The buffer 7 isframe of. the

by rods'and' springs as heretofore.

an elongated or slotted socket 13 on the other part, so that while the buffer is fbrced' to swing laterally with the coupler shank, it may have an independent longitudinal motion. There are also preferably forward connections at 14,15 between the, coupler and buffer shanks which accomplish a like purpose. v i

The coupler shank is supported by a suitable carry iron 16 'and is connected to and guided from thetruck of the car by suitable connections 17. The side portions of the vestibule comprise diaphragms 18 made of canvas or suitable material, the sections of the d1aphragms being connected together at their margins by connecting strips' 19 of metal.

attached to a holder 20, the shank of which is hinged by a pin 21- to'the car at 22, The forward edges of the diaphra me are also connected to a holder .23.whic inlike manner is pivoted by pins 24 to a, second holder or hinge member 25, thedatter' being fixed to a frame 26 which is in the general form of a door-frame and is connected at the bottom to the buffer plate 27, the. connection being preferably made by horizontal pintles 28.

The top ortion of the diaphragm frame isfree', and not connected to the car frame This feature I believe to be broadlynew. The top portion of the diaphragm frame has a rearwardly projecting weather plate 29 which projects under a hood 30 attached to the car so as to exclude weather, and under this hood the portion 29is preferably provided. with an upwardly projecting-lip 31 5 which prevents weather entering from the exterior.

-;Ther,e is also preferably a roofplate 32 for thevestibule which projects from the car frame proper in a forward and horizontal direction underneath the plate 29, so 'that the vestibule is entirely inclosed atthe top and weather is excluded. The vestibule is, therefore, connected to a radially swinging buffer and swings therewith,- and has thedia hragms so hinged at the front and back e v At their rear edges these die-- phragins are ges that they will" in swinging- OHIO, SIG-N03 TO THE NATIOHAL mm 2 arts engaging lllil assume the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the diaphragms at both sides are always ex- I tended to substantiall the same extent, and in their back and fortli motion under bufiing and draft they will move equally and simultaneously, and the line of motion will be approximately through the center of the folds of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is thus rendered very durable, and the rapid deterioration of the same which occurs in ordi nary vestibule construction is effectually prevented. The motion of the vestibule during the passing of the car around curves contracts very little the opening leading from one vestibule to the next, which is always of substantially constant width. This is a matter of great convenience in affording a continuous and free passage from one car to the next under all conditions.

If desired, the hinges 21 and 24 may be dispensed with and the direct connection of the diaphragms themselves relied upon to afford the desired flexibleconnections.

For the purpose of extending the vestibule frame and diaphragm, I employ leaf springs 33 which are attached at their lower ends to the buffer and extend u wardly along the frame, being connected t ereto at 34. The outward tension of these springs extends'the top of the vestibule, holding it out so that it will engage the top'of the vestibule of the adjoining car.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. It affords a better and more reliably acting vestibule construction than has heretofore been known and adapts the vestibule perfectly to use with cars having radial draftgears.

The parts of the device may be modified in various ways without departing from my invention as stated in the claims, since What I claim is:

1. The combination of a car, of a radially swinging bufier rigid with its shank, and a diaphragm attached at the forward end to the buffer and at the rear end .held to the car I body and restrained thereby at the rear from lateral movement with the bufi'er, substani tially as described.

2. The combination with a laterally swinging buifer, of a vestibule having a frame attached to the buffer and diaphragms pivotally connected to the body of the car; substantiallyas described.

3. The combination with a laterally swinging buffer, of a vestibule having a frame attached to the buffer and diaphragms hinged to the body of the car, and also hinged to the frame; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a radially swinging butter rigid with its shank of a vestibule having a frame attached to the buffer and diaphragms flexibly connected to the body of the car. and restrained therebyat the rear from lateral movement with the buffer, the diaphragms forming the sole attachmentof the upper portion of the frame to the car body, substantially as described.

The combination with a laterally swin ing bulfer. and'bufi'er springs, of a vestibule having a frame connected to the buffer, and other springs extending from below and pressin the vestibule frame forward; substantialIy as described.

with a rearwardly extending deflecting plate and .ahood with which the said plate co operates; substantially as described.

7. The combination of a laterally movable butter with a vestibule having a frame with a rearwardly extending deflecting plate, a hood with which the said plate cooperates and a roof plate which extends forwardly from the car frame: substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY T. KRAKAU.

lVitnesses 'THoMAs W. BAKEwnLL, GEORGE H. SoNNEBoRN.

6.. The combination of a laterally swing. 111g buffer with a vestibule having a frame, 

